Dental costs in the Netherlands

High-quality smiles at fixed prices

The Netherlands is among Europe’s countries with the shiniest and healthiest teeth. To keep that high-quality dental care affordable, a branch of the Dutch government - the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa: Nederlandse Zorgautoriteit) - carefully regulates and sets the rates for dentistry treatments. In other words: all dentists in the Netherlands charge the same fees.

Let’s check what the prices are for some common dentist treatments in the Netherlands in 2022:

• Periodic dental checkup: 23,45 euros
• Dental cleaning for five minutes: 13,84 euros
• Making and assessing a small X-ray picture: 17,28 euros

Your total dental costs, however, depend on your personal needs. You can always ask your dentist for a cost breakdown of any treatment in advance to avoid financial surprises.

Also good to know about dental costs in the Netherlands

All dentists in the Netherlands need to inform you when any dental treatment exceeds 250 euros. If you earn minimum wage, you might be eligible for financial assistance from the Dutch government. The basic health insurance does cover oral surgery approved by the hospital. The billing procedure for emergencies is the same as for regular visits to the dentist. Minors, when adequately insured, are free of any dentist charge, excluding orthodontics.

What insurance do you need as an expat to cover dental costs?

As you might know already, the basic health care insurance does not cover dental expenses for adults in the Netherlands. If you want to be reimbursed, you’ll need supplemental dental insurance. This will cover at least a large percentage of your dental costs. Make sure to take sufficient insurance on your pearly whites and to adapt the reimbursement rate to optimally cover your dental expenses.

Emergency dentist costs in the Netherlands

Accidents cannot always be avoided. In the case of a genuine dental emergency, such as severe toothache, heavy oral bleeding, or the breaking or loss of a tooth, you can always get immediate treatment by a dentist in the Netherlands.

The first thing you should do, in case of an emergency, is to call your dentist for help. If they are closed or fully booked, you can reach out to an emergency dentist in your area. Even if you’re not registered as a regular patient, they will try to see you the same day. It is important to know that you must pay directly after the treatment if you are not registered at the emergency dentist. Make sure to bring your I.D, a debit or credit card, and your health insurance card to the appointment.

So, what about the cost of an emergency dentist visit? The costs for emergency dental treatment are the same as for regular treatment. In addition, emergency care is reimbursed by your health insurer in the same way as normal dental treatment.